Rotary hydraulic well drill



Patented Nov. 16, 192%.

HARLEY A. HOWCOTT, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TOJ; W. T. STEPHENS, .OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

ROTARY HYDRAULIC V7 ELL DRILL.

Application filed June 10, 1925. Serial No. 36,182. Y

This invention relates to improvements in well drills, and it consistsof the constructions, combinationsand arrangements herein described andclaimed.

An object of the invention is toprovide a well drill which is operableby hydraulic pressure, there being a drive shaft having a spiralprovided with baflles uponwhich boththe weight and pressure of the fluidpin, structure oflsuch arrangement that a reciprocatory motion isimparted to the drill bit simultaneously'with the rotation thereof.Another object of'the invention is to provide" an independent suspensionfor the being had to the accompanying drawing, in.

spiral casing to thereby relieve the drill stem of that additionalweightf 'Other objects and advantages will appearv in the followingspecification, reference which Figurel is a longitudinal section of thedrilling mechanism at the lower end of a well casing and showing theimprovements therein.

Figure 2 is across section on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is' a crosssection. on the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a crosssec tionon the line 44. of Figure 1. i

Figure 5'is a cross section onthe line 55 of Figure 1.

In carrying out the invention provision is made of-a splral casing 1,so-called because it houses the helix or spiral 2 which is formeduponthe drive shaft 3. The spiral casing 1 is internally threaded at theupper the water chamber 4, the latter the bearing "sleeve 5. The waterchamber 4 has an internal spider 6 (Fig. 23) supporting a central hub 7in which the upper end of the shaftB hasbearing. The'chamber 4 by virtueof having an internal spider also has passages 8 through whiclrthe watercan utilized the spiral 2 is fitted with a plu- -ral1ty of baffles 9against which the water impacts and produces a vigorous driving actionof the shaft 3 a An arrangement somewhatsimilar to the, water chamber 4occurs'in the bearing sleeve -5, this by virtue of the fact that thereis a bearing cup 10 centrally supported in the spiral casing 1 by arms11 whichalso deline a spider. A collar'12, clamped at 13 or otherwiseaffixed to the shaft; 3, rides upon ball bearings 14 upon the hub 10.This immediate arrangement provides a thrustbearing, and in practice thethrust hearing will be designed to prevent as muchas possible theentrance of sand and otherforeign mat ter. The illustration in Figure 1is largely conventional. I a p p A circumferential series of openings 15in the hearing sleeve 5 provides for the escape of water from the spiralcasing 1 after the driving function of the shaft 3 has been completed.These openings (which may be round, oval or otherwise) are made on aflange so that the water is directed downward'into the bore in thecourse of construction. This sets up a'washingaction, there being areturn stream of water in the space between the spiral casing 1 and thewell casing 16, and soon up to the surface. It is to be noted that thewater'chamber 4 is closed, that istosay it has a flange 17 to which thesimilar flange of a support is secured at119. The support 18 is theelement into which the drill'stem 20 is screwed or otherwise fitted. Thedrill stem is h0llowand serves as a conduit for the water from a forcepump (not shown) on the surface to the bore of the well. In extremelydeep wells it may be found necessary to employ a number of spreadersQlto keep the drill stem 20 from chattering. These spreaders are nothingmore than crosses or spiders and lower ends, the first threads securlngj(Fig. 2) which fit tightly upon' the drill stem but are loose in thecasing 16.

, .Lugs 22on the sides of the supporting means provide places to whichthe ends of steel cables 2am secured in order to support the spiralcasing 1 and its carried parts, and thereby relieve the drill stem 20 ofthe additional weight. These cables run tothe surface and over anysuitable drum capable of such operation as to raise or lower themechanism as may be required;

I That portion ofthe drive'shaft below the bearing hub 10 is madenon-circular as at 24. This non-circular portion 24 of the drive shaftextends into the collar 25 and terminates substantially even with theend of the threaded nipple 26. screwed upon this nipple. The headcarries bits 28, but in practice other types of bits may be substitutedfor the head 2?, the connecting place afforded by the nipple 26 readilypermitting the exchange.

A slot 29 in the peripheral face of the col lar 25 causes a'reciprocatory or jumping motion of the bit head 27 during rotation. Inorder to carry this purpose into effect the slot 29 is of a zig-zagnature (Fig. 1) and the points of a number ofstuds 30 set in the wall ofthe bearing sleeve enter the slot thereby providing fixtures upon whichthe slot can ride. It is obviously necessary that the collar 25 be loosein the sleeve 5 otherwise it could neither rotate nor reciprocate.

It is the studs 30 that hold the collar in place. r

The operation may be readily understood. In practice the drill stem isconnected with any suitable force pump at the surface,

by means of which pump'fluid is forced 'down the stem 20, into the waterchamber 4, through the spiral casing 1, through the openings 15 into thewell casing 16 whence it returns'to the surface, however first servingto wash out the bore. The impact of the water against both the spiral 2and the baffles 9 causes rotation of the drive shaft 3.

lhe drive shaft 3 by virtue of its non-cir- ,cular end 2 l causesrotation of the collar and the drill head 27. The zig-zag slot 29 ridesover the'studs as the collar 25 rotates, and inasmuch as the head 27 isattached to the collar at the plate 26 the re sulting jumping mot-ion isimparted to the head and to the drill point carried thereby.

The reciprocation of the collar 25 occurs in respect to the non-circularend 2% of the drive shaft. Ithas been explained before that the wirecables 23 support the spiral casing and the parts carried thereby,thereby relieving the drill stem 20 of the otherwise additional weight.

Upon analyzing the structure presented, it becomes plain that the actualdriving power is applied almost directly to the drill contrary to theprevailing practice in which the driving power is applied at thesurfaceand transmitted through a drill stem or other intermediary. Thisis not intended to imply that all surface machinery. is eliminated. Thisis not so because a pump for forcing the water down must of necessity beemployed. 'It is also necessary to employ suitable hoisting machineryfor lowering and retracting the mechanism.

lVhile the construction and arrangement of the improved well drill isthat of a generally preferred form, obviously modifications and changesmay be made without de- A head 27 is parting from the spirit of theinvention or. the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A well drill having a bit head, relative- 1y stationary means in,reference to which it is both rotatable and reciprocatable, means whichunder the impact of a fluid partakes of a rotary motion only, anon-circular err-- tension forming part of said rotary means,

and means carrying said bit head said means the eccentric slot andrelatively stationary, means.

'2. A well drill having a rotatabl e androciprocatable collar to which adrilling element is attachable, a drive shaft having a non-circularextension by which the collar;-

is rotated and upon which the collar reciprocates, a spiral formed onthe shaft and having baflles to receive the impact'of fluid to therebyrotate the shaft, means constituting a casing for the spiral and collar,and

means associated both with a portion of said casing means and with thecollar by which the reciprocatory motionis caused during rotation, andby which the collar issupported at the same time. p

3. A well drilliha'ving a collar with a zig- "zag slot, a casing havingasleeve provided with means entering the slot and providing a supportfor the collar, a drive shaft situated in the casing having a spiraltobe impacted by fluid conducted through the casing to cause rotation ofthe shaft, and a non-circular extension of the shaft by which saidrotation is imparted to the collar and in respect to which extension thecollar then reciprocates by virtue of said means engaging said slot. 1 I

4:. A well drill having a collar provided with a zig-zag'slot and havingmeans to carry a drilling element, acasing, a drive shaft situated inthe casing and having means which upon being impacted by fluid directedinto the casing'causes the rotation of the shaft, a sleeve attached tothe casing having means entering the slot to support the collar andhaving fluid outlet openings close to the top of the collar, and anon-circular extension of the drive shaft by which the collar is'rotatedand upon which the collar is reciprocatable by virtue of the action ofsaid slot upon said supporting means. i 5. A well drill having a casing,a drilling element having a collar by means of which it is rotatably andreciprocatablymounted on one end of the casing, means in the easing foroperating the collar, a hollow drill stem by which driving fluid isconducted to the casing, and means connecting the easing with the drillstem having passages conducting the fluid from the drill stem to thecasing.

6. A well drill comprising a drive shaft having a spiral provided withbaffle-s, a casing in which said structure is housed, a hollow drillstem for conducting water to the casing, a water chamber by which thecasing and drill stem are connected, said cham-- her having a spidersupporting a hub which provides the upper bearing for the shaft, acollar having a zig-zag slot and means to which a drilling element isattachable, a

sleeve carried by the casing havinga hub furnishing the lower bearingfor the shaft, means carried by the sleeve projecting into the slot andthereby supporting the collar, said sleeve having openings for theescape of the water close to the top of the collar, and a non-circularextension of the drive shaft by which the collar is rotated and uponwhich the collar is reciprocatable by virtue of the action of said slotonthe means projecting into said slot.

HARLEY A. W. HOVVCOTT.

